"If you try to upgrade to Windows 11 on a PC that's more than five or six years old, you'll probably encounter an error message telling you -- in no uncertain terms -- that your old PC doesn't qualify because its CPU isn't on the official list of compatible processors. Microsoft has stated, forcefully, that it will not revise those requirements. You will also hit roadblocks if your PC doesn't have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0, or if the TPM is not enabled."
"That might be the official policy, but -- as with everything Windows-related -- it pays to read the fine print. Those pesky restrictions prevent you from automatically upgrading to Windows 11 using Windows Update or the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Yet, as hundreds of ZDNET readers have reported this year alone, there are documented workarounds for most PCs that were originally built for Windows 10."
"Over the past few years, Microsoft has played a cat-and-mouse game with enthusiasts, adding occasional speed bumps that make it more difficult to bypass these compatibility checks. There are workarounds for most modern PCs, but some older devices, especially those built using AMD processors, might be out of luck. The instructions below take all those developments into account. These instructions also assume that you have a PC with an x64 CPU (not ARM and not 32-bit), running a retail or OEM edition."
Microsoft will stop delivering security updates to Windows 10 on Oct. 14, 2025 unless a PC is enrolled in the Extended Security Updates program. Upgrade attempts to Windows 11 on PCs older than five or six years often fail because CPUs are not on the official compatible list and because a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 may be missing or disabled. Those restrictions block automatic upgrades through Windows Update and the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Documented workarounds, including registry edits and third-party utilities, enable upgrades on most x64 retail or OEM Windows 10 PCs, but some older or AMD-based devices may remain unsupported.
Read at ZDNET
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